The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-02-04
THE Farm.
Alslke Glover as a Forage and
Honey Plant.
A PAPER READ AT TIE CONVENTION AT
VASSAR. MICHIGAN.


hoping that it will be of some interest
to bee keepers, and to farmers in gen
eral. will first give a description Of
the plant and its growth.
ALsIKE, OR SWEDISH CLovER-TRI-
FoLTUM HYBRIDIUM.
So called from being intermediate in
its appearance between the red and
white clover, possessing qualities cam
mon to both. 1t makes but little
growth the first year, seldom blossom
ing in our latitude The clover bios
SONS in Maryland the first year. Ed.
But the second year it comes on as fast
as red clover, sending up from 3 to 5
seed-stalks in stool, which throw out
numerous side branches, making a sue
cession of bloom for about four weeks
The root is unlike our common red c|o-
yer, from the fact that it has but
small center, or tap root, and throws
out numerous side.roots, which makes
it we'll adapted to low land. or any land
that is liable to heave. The stalk is
little if any larger than our common
timothy grass, growing from one to two
feet in height, being we'll covered with
fine leaves, having blossoms similar to
our common white clover, but about
two-thirds larger, bright pink in color,
fading to white. The seed is about the
size of timothy seed, with the hull
off, growing with from to 5 seeds in
a pod, the same as white clover. One
popularity of this clover is, that it
makes but little second growth if the
seed.stalk is allowed to form; conse-
quently the first crop has to be saved
for seed, being similar in this respect
to mammoth or peavine clover.
consider it fully as good for hay as
timothy, being fully as free from dust
when cured. Having been well salts
fed Of its value for hay crop for some
ten years, I decided, in the spring of
1888, to seed three acres of land with
clear alsike, and make an experiment
as to its value for pasture, honey, and
seed. The place | decided to seed was
IL by 40 rods, crossing what was once
a black ash and elm swail, now we'll
underdrained About two-thirds of the
ground was low; soil black sandy
loan, the high ground hard clay, the
whole ground being in fall wheat when
I sowed the seed in April, 1888. [
sowed 4lbs. to the acre, and in October
following I top dressed the high ground
with well-rotted manure, putting on IA
two-horse wagon-loads. In April, 1884,
the cloyer came on very rapidly, so
that by May 1st [ turned S cows and 3
hogs into the field. May "a 1 put 2
horses in the field, and the last five DAYS
prior to shutting all stock out of the
field, which l did June 18th, allowed
40 sheep on the ground. As forage
plant I will speak hereafter.
PAsTURING ALsIKE so AS TO MAKE 1T
BLOSSOM IN AUGUST.
Knowing its peculiarly of not grow.
ing a second crop if the seed stalk was
allowed to form, | pastured it close. I
know it has been stated, that if it was
cut in June, just as it was coming into
blossom, that it would blossom again in
August. This is a mistake. In our
latitude the seed stalk must not be al.
lowed to form. My objet was to have
it come in blossom about July 20. In
this | failed. 1t commenced to blossom
July 8th, when it was about inches
high; and by the 18th, 40 rods away, it
looked like a field of snow, and the
aroma of the blossoms could be smelled
very plainly that distance The bees
to work on it with the first
blossoms, and continued to work until
Aug. l, for two weeks of the time with
a perfect roar.
My failure to have it come in BIOS
som at the close Of Eastwood bloom, as
the season turned out was just what |
wanted, for Eastwood failed to furnish
any honey; and had it not been for this
[ should have had no white honey to
speak of. The last of August the seed
crop was ready to cut, having attained
. height of about one foot. l secured
'he crop by cutting and curing, the
'ame as though it were hay. thrash
ID it in November, and got 5404 lbs. of
iced, cleaned ready for maket.
AS FORAGE-PLANT
It has no superior, producing large
low of very rich milk. June 18th,
vhen shut the stock out of the alsike,
allowoJ &hou, IN .,,n - - GalJ of rod